Tag: Sony
News Sony's New $320M 'Alliance' Has Left Xbox Fans Breathing A Sigh Of Relief
No signs of a full acquisition right now
There was concern amongst the Xbox community recently when it was reported that Sony was considering acquiring the parent company behind the likes of Elden Ring, Dark Souls and Armored Core, but fortunately that hasn't happened. Instead, it's been announced today that Kadakowa (the parent of FromSoftware,...
Rumour Sony's LEGO Horizon Adventures Could Be Coming To Xbox
On the horizon
After a year where Microsoft pressed on with its multiplatform plans — bringing more and more Xbox games to PS5 — it looks like we might finally see something head in the other direction. According to Arab media outlet JustPlayIt, Sony is planning on bringing this year's LEGO Horizon Adventures
News Ex-PlayStation Boss Questions Why Sony Would Put PS5 Games On Xbox
"I don't know if the juice is worth the squeeze"
This year has been dominated at times by all the talk of first-party Xbox games heading over to PlayStation consoles, and aside from MLB The Show (which kinda doesn't apply anyway), there's been no sign of Sony returning the favour. Speaking to
News Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Congratulates Departing PlayStation Exec On Their 'Amazing Career'
"Congrats on an amazing career at PlayStation"
Longtime Sony executive Shuhei Yoshida has announced their departure from PlayStation this week, and Xbox boss Phil Spencer has sent the exec a warm message - as he prepares to leave one of Microsoft's biggest competitors in the gaming space. Taking to Twitter early this morning, Phil sent his...
News Xbox Set To Be Joined By PlayStation In Creating New Handheld Console
Sony's apparently in the "early stages" of developing one
We've heard a lot about Xbox's plans to create a handheld console at some point in the future, but we didn't know that PlayStation was planning one as well - apparently that's the case according to a new report from Bloomberg. The outlet says that Sony is in "the early stages" of developing...
News Sony's Next Acquisition Could Have A Big Impact On Future Xbox Releases
FromSoftware looks set to be involved
The big story doing the rounds in the gaming world this morning relates to a potential acquisition that's in works at Sony, with the company apparently in discussions to acquire Kadokawa Corporation within the next couple of weeks. FromSoftware and Spike Chunsoft are both part of the Kadokawa group, meaning...
News PlayStation's Call Of Duty Timed Exclusivity Deal Is Now Officially Over
MW3 DLC packs can now come to Xbox
Microsoft may have acquired Call of Duty publisher Activision more than a year ago, but the Xbox owner vowed to uphold any existing deals that the franchise had with PlayStation owner Sony - and the last of those deals has now officially come to an end. Yep, as pointed out by CharlieIntel, last year's
Guide Is Death Stranding 2 Coming To Xbox? Here's Everything We Know So Far
Will DS2 come to Xbox?
Since the surprise release of Death Stranding Director's Cut on Xbox Series X|S, we've seen lots of speculation about the sequel - and whether Death Stranding 2: On The Beach could one day come to Xbox as well. With how Kojima Productions has handled the first game, there's a good chance DS2 will arrive on Xbox eventually -...
News Bungie Provides Dev Update On Marathon, Encourages Xbox Fans To 'Wish List'
New art, playtest plans and "more" in 2025
Former Halo developer Bungie has today provided an update on its new extraction shooter Marathon, which was officially announced in 2023. In today's update, game director Joe Ziegler explained how it's still a little bit early to show the game as one piece, but everything in terms of the development is...
Rumour Xbox's PS5 Ports Have 'Slowed Down' Following Indiana Jones Announcement
"Halo and Gears are still RED LINES to this day"
Most of us know by now that Xbox has begun bringing select titles to PS5 this year, with the trend set to continue next spring with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
News Helldivers 2 Dev Says Xbox Version 'Isn't Up To Us', But It 'Could' Happen
But it's ultimately up to MS and Sony
The gaming world went a bit bananas for Helldivers 2 earlier this year - its PS5 and PC launch was massive and the game went on to be more popular than any of us ever imagined. Even way back when, there was talk about an Xbox version (with Phil Spencer even commenting on the situation), and now such a...
News Crimson Desert's Xbox Launch Was Reportedly Almost Delayed By Sony Exclusivity Deal
Don't worry though, it's not happening
Although we don't really talk about it very much here at Pure Xbox, Black Desert has been a very popular game over the years - the free-to-play MMORPG has racked up over 20 million players so far across all platforms. We're actually a lot more interested in the next game from developer Pearl Abyss, though,...
News Xbox Series X|S Console Sales Estimated At Under Half Of PS5 In New Report
The WSJ shares new data
Microsoft doesn't usually share console sales data these days, aside from when talking in percentages during fiscal updates, but a new report using third-party info gives us a fresh estimate on the current sales of Xbox Series X|S. Using data from Aldora Intelligence, compiled by The Wall Street Journal, Microsoft is...
News Sony's PS5 Pro Seems Unlikely To Get An Xbox Equivalent This Holiday
It just been announced for a November release
The big news in the gaming world today is that Sony has announced a PS5 Pro that will be launching on November 7th for £699.99 / $699.99. The goal of the console is to deliver the highest quality visuals at improved frame rates. From an Xbox perspective though, it's very much business as usual as...
Reaction Xbox Focusing On 'Blockbuster Games' Should Be No Surprise After The Failure Of Concord
Risky business
Okay, so, everyone and their Twitter-surfing uncle has read about the Concord news this week; that being Sony deciding to close down its live service hero shooter after less than two weeks on the market. We can't say we're that surprised by this outcome, although like most folks out there, we did expect the PlayStation owner to give...
News Black Myth: Wukong Xbox Delay Reportedly Tied To PS5 'Exclusivity Deal'
Update: Microsoft reiterates it's not linked to Xbox "limitations"
Update (Wed 4th Sep, 2024 07:05 BST): Forbes has received a new statement from a Microsoft representative, which reiterates the delay of Black Myth: Wukong on Xbox "is not due to technical issues". According to Forbes senior contributor Paul Tassi, this once again "points to outside...
News Bungie Is 'Deepening Integration' With Sony As Layoffs Hit Ex-Halo Developer
"The new path for Bungie"
Bungie has today announced a "new path" for its future in game development, as the team behind Halo and Destiny "deepens" its relationship with owner Sony. This new path unfortunately includes some layoffs, although the team's further integration with the PlayStation maker appears to have dampened the impact of these job...
News Sony PlayStation 'Regrettably Outspends Us', Says Xbox EMEA Marketing Boss
"We’re not blessed with huge media budgets"
We've seen Xbox fans talk about Microsoft's perceived lack of marketing for its gaming business before - heck, it's been a hot topic for some time when comparing success levels with other platform holders. Well, in a new interview with MarketingWeek, the Xbox EMEA boss has given us some frank quotes...
News LEGO Horizon Adventures Dev Gives Non-Answer For Lack Of Xbox Version
Because uh, uh, because.
During 2024's showcase season, the much-rumoured LEGO Horizon Adventures was announced on Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest stage - but there was no Xbox version to be seen. Guerrilla Games' first foray into LEGO game making is releasing on PS5, Switch and PC day one, but not Xbox. Now, in a new interview wi
News Xbox's Recent Multiplatform Releases Selling Well On PS5, Fallout Sales Also Get A Boost
NPD has all the deets
Whatever we may think of Microsoft's new direction in bringing certain first-party games to other platforms, the results are beginning to speak for themselves. Circana's Mat Piscatella (formerly NPD) has today posted a bunch of figures and statistics about US game sales for the month of April - and Xbox's new PlayStation...
News Xbox Is Reportedly 'Considering' Hellblade 2 For PlayStation 5
A PS5 port hasn't been announced, yet
In recent months, Microsoft has started to experiment with launching some of its exclusive games on other consoles, with Grounded, Hi-Fi RUSH, Pentiment and Sea Of Thieves all now playable on other platforms. We're yet to really see how Microsoft's experiment will play out in the long run, but it sounds like...
News Helldivers 2 Dev Urges More 'Compassion' In Response To Negative Xbox Tweet
Racking up a massive amount of "likes" in the process
Sony's Helldivers 2 continues be brought up in relation to Xbox at the moment, even though it's not part of the platform and seemingly won't be coming to it - at least not anytime soon!. This latest example comes courtesy of Twitter (or "X" if you really want to call it that), where the CEO of...
News Digital Foundry Tests Xbox & PlayStation Cloud Gaming, And The Results Are Mixed
Cloud wars
Cloud streaming is a big part of modern gaming these days, especially when it comes to subscription services and bolstering those offerings. Both Sony and Microsoft integrate some form of the tech into PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass - and outlet Digital Foundry has decided to take a look at how they're both holding up in 2024. The team ha
News PlayStation Follows Xbox In Announcing Significant Layoffs For 2024
"Difficult news about our workforce"
Sony has announced major layoffs involving its PlayStation business - the next chapter in a rough start to 2024 for the gaming industry. Following Xbox's huge round of layoffs last month, PlayStation will shed around 900 jobs imminently. Those 900 jobs amount to roughly 8% of PlayStation's current workforce;...
Talking Point Will Certain PlayStation & Nintendo Games Eventually Come To Xbox?
Returning the favour
It's been a busy few weeks for Xbox, starting out with a whirlwind of rumours about certain games launching on other platforms - before that exact plan was put into action this week. Four games are in the process of coming to PlayStation and Nintendo consoles, but what do you think about either of the two platforms ever...
News Xbox Petition For Helldivers 2 Goes Viral Overnight, Aims To 'Redefine The Console Wars'
"PlayStation can take a bold step..."
Last week, Xbox's Phil Spencer shared his bemusement about Sony's Helldivers 2 not being available on Microsoft's platform, and now a bunch of Xbox fans have managed to make a petition about this go viral overnight! The petition is called "
News Phil Spencer 'Gets' Why Helldivers 2 Isn't On Xbox, But Still Thinks It's Silly
"I’m not exactly sure who it helps in the industry"
Helldivers 2 has obviously been a massive success for Sony over the past week-or-so, and it's very unlikely we're going to see it on Xbox anytime soon, which Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer clearly thinks is a shame. Speaking to Game File today, Spencer mentioned Helldivers 2 while talking...
Reaction We're Conflicted About Xbox Exclusives Potentially Going To PS5
It's... complicated
Update: In case you haven't seen, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has now addressed some of the rumours and speculation floating around online, promising to reveal more about the "future of Xbox" at an event next week. <related ids="161730"> Original story: The closing stages of this past weekend have been awash with
News Xbox Might Be Looking Into A Handheld Console As PlayStation Rumours Circulate
"They are."
Thanks to a new 'PlayStation Vita 2' leak via YouTuber Moore's Law Is Dead, rumours that an Xbox handheld console could be in the works have now started to appear. Outlet Insider Gaming reported on that initial 'Vita 2' leak, and Windows Central's Jez Corden has responded with an Xbox rumour of his own. Basically, Insider Gaming's Tom...
News Bungie's Independence Reportedly Under Threat After Layoffs & Destiny 2 Expansion Delay
Sony could step in and "swallow Bungie whole"
There's unfortunately some more concerning news making headlines today about Destiny 2 and original Halo developer Bungie. According to an update from IGN's Rebekah Valentine, the studio remains a "fully independent subsidiary of Sony" but it's been suggested that the "split between Sony and Bungie"...
News Former Gears Of War Narrative Director Joins PlayStation's Santa Monica Studio
"ALL RIGHT, let's do this..."
We've got some interesting industry news to share today, as it's been revealed that the former "Franchise Narrative Director" on the Gears series, Bonnie Jean Mah, has joined Sony's Santa Monica Studio - again as a Narrative Director. Bonnie revealed the news on Twitter last night, stating how "beyond thrilled" she was...
News Xbox Revenue Would Overtake PlayStation With ActiBlizz On Board, Says Data Firm
Looking at 2023 figures so far
Microsoft's huge Activision Blizzard deal has always been seen as a bit of a money-maker for the Xbox owner, especially with such valuable franchises in-play across Activision, Blizzard and indeed King. Series' such as Call of Duty, Candy Crush and World of Warcraft will bring in lots of additional revenue for Xbox,...
News PlayStation Studio Bungie Knows It's 'Lost' A Lot Of The Destiny 2 Community's Trust
"This has been one of the most difficult weeks"
Earlier this week, Bungie confirmed it had to say goodbye to many colleagues after a report revealed the PlayStation-owned studio had axed 8% of its workforce (around 100 jobs). Bungie higher-ups had also revealed just weeks before to staff that the company was running at 45% below its revenue...
News Xbox Series X|S Sales Had A Strong Week In Japan, Rarely Beating Out PS5
The pair of Xbox consoles had a solid week in the region
Japanese outlet Famitsu has released its latest hardware and software sales figures for the region, revealing a solid week for Xbox Series X|S sales - at least in comparison to PS5. According to the outlet (via VGC), Xbox Series X and S sold a combined 3,301 units last week, while PS5 and PS5...
News PlayStation Studio & Former Halo Dev Bungie Cuts Staff After Game Delays
Update: 8% of staff reportedly gone
Update [Wed 1st Nov, 2023 00:00 GMT]: Following the initial announcement of layoffs at Bungie, a new report by Bloomberg has now revealed the the decisio
Talking Point Would You Like A Detachable Disc Drive For Xbox Series S?
Would it come in handy?
Sony finally announced its much-rumoured console revisions last night in the form of new Disc and Digital PS5 models launching this November, which made us think, what about a similar option for Xbox users? Microsoft has its very own digital console with Xbox Series S, but as of yet, you cannot add any sort of disc drive to...
News Sony Veteran Becomes Xbox's New Director Of Partnerships In Japan
"Opening up a new chapter"
Back in December of last year, we noted how Xbox was looking for a "Director of Japan Game Creator Partnerships", and it looks like that role has now been filled by former Sony executive Mena Sato Kato. Sony Interactive Entertainment's ex-vice president of mobile business took to LinkedIn earlier this week to share the...
News Microsoft Submits Changes To UK CMA Over Its 'Anticipated Acquisition' Of Activision Blizzard
The final level
Microsoft has submitted what is expected to be its final report to the CMA concerning its Xbox Activision Blizzard deal. Microsoft's submission was made on July 25th and goes over the CMA's concerns in detail, as stated by the authority in a notice posted today. The UK authority also mentions that such a move is "not a usual part of...
News Microsoft Responds To Old Xbox Comment About 'Spending Sony Out Of Business'
"It refers to industry trends we never pursued"
A story that you may have seen doing the rounds on social media over the past few hours relates to an old comment from Xbox Game Studios boss Matt Booty about the idea of "spending Sony out of business". Naturally, this has attracted a lot of attention, and Microsoft has been keen to address it...
News Phil Spencer: Sony Uses Revenue From Our Games To Reduce Xbox's 'Survival In The Market'
He describes the company as an "aggressive competitor"
Xbox boss Phil Spencer has revealed as part of today's FTC hearing that he believes Sony is using revenue from Xbox games on the PlayStation platform to try and reduce Xbox's survival in the market. Spencer was questioned about how the company feels when releasing games on PlayStation, claiming...
News Sony Won't Share Confidential PS6 Details With Activision If Xbox Deal Is Approved
"We simply could not run the risk"
It's going to be a busy week of Activision Blizzard news with the major FTC hearing kicking off today, and something that's come out of it already is a statement from PlayStation boss Jim Ryan about Activision and future console plans. These comments actually date back to April, when Ryan explained to the FTC that...
Reaction PlayStation's Showcase Was A Win For Xbox, Whichever Way You Slice It
Third party bonanza
As the dust settles on Sony's big 2023 PlayStation Showcase, we're left with one big takeaway ahead of Microsoft's show next month - it was a pretty big win for Team Xbox. Sony's show wasn't bad by any means - in fact, there were lots of games shown that we're excited to play. However, the good news for us and the folks over at...
News Xbox Has Much Weaker Brand Momentum Than PlayStation, Claims New Sony Document
With Nintendo in second place
Oh boy, here we go! Sony's most recent business report features a bunch of information about how well the PlayStation brand has been performing lately, and as spotted by our sister site Push Square, it also includes a reference to Xbox. That reference is found in a graph where Sony compares "leading category momentum"...
News SEGA Considers Following Xbox, PlayStation & Nintendo In Charging $70 For AAA Games
"We would like to review the prices of titles"
In recent years, a fair few major game publishers have raised their standard AAA pricing to $70. Take-Two was among the first to do it, alongside Sony and more recently Microsoft; starting with Arkane's Redfall. Well, it looks like SEGA is also considering a similar move for some of its titles. In a...
News COD Going Xbox Exclusive 'Would Not Significantly Harm Competition', Says EU
The European Commission weighs in
Well, Xbox's huge Activision Blizzard deal has been officially approved in the EU! The region is happy with the concessions Microsoft has made in regards to cloud gaming, and going off some of the statements in its new report, the European Commission wa
Video FTC Chair Questioned Over 'Remarkable' Decision To Side With Sony Rather Than Microsoft
"Can you explain why that seems to be a good idea?"
Microsoft's attempted takeover of Activision Blizzard was brought up in a Congressional hearing this week, in which FTC chair Lina Khan was asked about why the Commission had decided to "side" with Sony in relation to the deal. The question was asked by Tenessee representative Diana Harshbarger,...
News Sony Blasts CMA's Xbox Verdict As 'Surprising, Unprecedented And Irrational'
"The CMA should revisit its analysis"
It was revealed back in late March that Xbox appeared to be getting close to approving the Activision Blizzard takeover in the UK, with the CMA explaining that it no longer had any concerns about Call of Duty and PlayStation. As you might expect, Sony isn't very happy about that. In the company's response to...
News Activision Won't Allow Sony's 'Disappointing Behaviour' To Impact Long Term Relations
Bobby Kotick says they're doing it for the players
The ongoing battle between Microsoft and Sony has been a long and difficult process with Activision Blizzard essentially caught in the crossfire. It's notably stalled Activision's own plans, and has evidently taken its toll on some of the company's key figures (with Sony refusing to sign the Call...
News Microsoft Welcomes Investigation Into Sony's 'Anti-Competitive Tactics' In Japan
The Xbox maker says it "deserves discussion"
Last week, you may remember that a story was doing the rounds about a U.S. senator claiming Sony has a "monopoly of 98% of the high-end game market" in Japan, and that story has evolved substantially over the past few hours. Axios is reporting that 11 members of Congress are concerned Sony is unfairly...
News US Senator Takes Jab At Sony's '98% Monopoly' Of High-End Games In Japan
Xbox has a small footprint in the region
Xbox's ongoing pursuit of Activision Blizzard has been the centre of attention in the gaming sphere for months now, as Microsoft continues to try and secure approval for its huge deal. This has meant we've spent plenty of time following court proceedings as of late, and recent comments from a US senator mean...
